Nebraska City woman may have succumbed to the cold

A preliminary autopsy report shows no signs of trauma regarding the death of 48-year-old Janet E. Gruber of Nebraska City raising suspicions that she succumbed to the cold while outside New Year's Eve.Gruber, who was in the process of moving out of a residence along south 13th Street up the hill from the McDonald's Re...

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By Dan Swanson

Nebraska City News-Press - Nebraska City, NE

By Dan Swanson

Posted Jan. 2, 2013 at 10:07 AM
Updated Jan 3, 2013 at 3:07 PM

By Dan Swanson

Posted Jan. 2, 2013 at 10:07 AM
Updated Jan 3, 2013 at 3:07 PM

Nebraska City

A preliminary autopsy report shows no signs of trauma regarding the death of 48-year-old Janet E. Gruber of Nebraska City raising suspicions that she succumbed to the cold while outside New Year's Eve.

Gruber, who was in the process of moving out of a residence along south 13th Street up the hill from the McDonald's Restaurant, was found in a neighbor's yard on Jan. 1.

She was found near a line of trees on one of two paths sometimes used by residents to walk to the restaurant. A barking dog alerted neighbors to the body.

Otoe County Attorney David Partsch said there appeared to be only one set of tracks in the snow leading the where Gruber was found.

He said an official cause of death will not be determined until a full autopsy is complete, but said it is likely that she died from hypothermia.

Police and Nebraska City EMS responded to a residence at the 1500 block of south 13th Street at 4:30 p.m.

An investigation by police and the Nebraska State Patrol included interviews with residents of the residence that Gruber was moving out of. Partsch said the interviews and preliminary autopsy report indicate an accidental death.